Archive for the ‘Public Education+Organizing’ Category

4th Ward TIFs To Be Illuminated!

May 11 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting

It’s time to shed some light on the 11 TIFs inside the 4th Ward. Join us on Monday, May 13 at 6pm at Room 43 to learn: - How much property tax is extracted from each TIF inside the ward - How much money FROM the ward was left in the TIFs at the end of 2011 - What projects inside the... Read more

Pass The Privatization Transparency Ordinance

April 27 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Privatization, Public Action, Public Education+Organizing, Research, Tax Scams, TIF News

Is your alderman on the list of sponsors of the Privatization Transparency Ordinance”? If so, call them and tell them to get it out of Alderman Mell’s committee and have voted on by the full City Council. The sponsor is 6th Ward Alderman, Roderick Sawyer. He said, upon introducing this bill in November of 2012, “I do not believe that there... Read more

Opponents Shut Out Of Alderman’s “Advisory” Committee

April 24 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, TIF 101, TIF Abuse, TIF News

It was Mayor Daley (I and II) all over again. In the old days, when an alderman dared to question the mayor their mike was often shut off. In other ploys meetings were quickly gaveled out of session. Opponents of a planned gift of $29 million in public funds for a luxury high-rise across the street from Lincoln Park got... Read more

Tom Presenting On Technology & Community Engagement 4/26

April 22 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Technology+Democracy, TIF News, Training

CivicLab co-founder Tom Tresser will be presenting at eChicago at UIC on Friday, April 26 on the TIF Illumination Project, as part of a panel on technology and community engagement.

Tweet
... Read more

46th Ward Gets Illuminated April 11!

April 10 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting, Training

Join us at The Peoples Church on April 11 at 7pm when we Illuminate the six TIFs inside the 46th Ward. If the last five TIF town meetings are any guides, then this meeting is going to ROCK! You can get the details and RSVP via Facebook @ http://tinyurl.com/TIF-Forum-April-11. We invite to learn what TIFs are doing in YOUR... Read more

AREA Chicago Distributes 5,000 TIF Posters

April 10 | Posted by Tom Tresser | About us, Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting, Training

Thanks to the great folks at AREA Chicago we are distributing 5,000 copies of the TIF Illumination Project’s graphic poster showing the results of our investigation of the 12 TIFs inside the 27th Ward. Awesome! The poster was designed by Carlyn So. The Spring 2013 issue focuses on housing.

Tweet

Coverage Of 7th Ward Illumination

April 2 | Posted by Tom Tresser | About us, In The News, Public Education+Organizing, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting

From Progress Illinois, “Dozens of South Shore residents weren’t too happy upon learning that a portion of their property taxes have been used as part of the city’s tax increment financing, or TIF, program. Tom Tresser, co-founder of the CivicLab, came to the 7th Ward, and is heading to others, as part of the volunteer-based TIF Illumination Project, which is intended to promote TIF... Read more

Illinois Gulity Of Pension Ponzi Scheme

March 12 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Tax Scams

How bad are Illinois’ finances? Would you believe bad enough to be called illegal by the SEC? According to The Chicago Tribune, “Illinois broke federal securities laws and “misled investors” in misstating the true health of the state’s depleted pension funds between 2005 and early 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday…’Municipal investors are no less entitled to truthful... Read more

TIF Town Meeting In Engelewood March 9

March 7 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting, Training

Join us in Englewood on March 9. This is the first citizen-powered town meeting to come out of the February 12 TIF Town Meeting we did at the Chopin Theater.

Tweet
... Read more

Chicago Reader Covers TIF Town Meeting

February 14 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF News, Training

From The Chicago Reader: “I was hoping Mayor Daley would show up for last night’s TIF town hall meeting at the Chopin Theatre. After all, Mayor Daley pretty much invented the TIF program as we practice it in Chicago. You might say he turned it into a work of art—of the corrupt Chicago variety. The least he could have done is show... Read more

« Older Entries